German FM urges Ukraine caution in military action

BERLIN - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged Ukraine's government on Saturday to exercise caution in using military force against pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country.

"The result of military operations in eastern Ukraine must not be to give more impetus to the separatists," Steinmeier told Tagesspiegel am Sonntag newspaper in extracts released on Saturday, the same day a new president was inaugurated in Kiev.

In such a tense situation, he added, it would be "smart to be cautious in the deployment of military force and have a sense of proportion".